Caption: Moscow Metro by Christophe Meneboeuf.

The Moscow Metro is a destination for anyone interested in both architecture and history. First built in 1935 under Joseph Stalin as a  piece of Communist propaganda, the system carried the slogan, “The whole country is building Metro” while it was under construction. It was built to serve as “Palaces for the People,” conveyed by the ornamental features throughout, including chandeliers, bronze columns, and intricate plaster reliefs. While the sense of being in an underground tunnel is inescapable in many cities’ subway systems, the high ceilings and marble walls throughout many of Moscow’s stations are intended to reflect the light and make the stations glow to communicate svetloe budushchee, meaning a “radiant future.” The metro is currently undergoing an expansion that is expected to make it the third largest subway system in the world by 2020.